Recently, I’ve been uprooting Greenstones and Copper Agates in my shop. Both these treasures make extraordinary jewelry, and both are difficult to find. Fortunately, over the past couple decades, I’ve been able to acquire some of both, in old collections, as well as hunting them on old Spoil Piles in the Keewenaw.
This is what I saw when I took off the rind of the nodule I found.
I rediscovered a stone from a few years back. I recall finding the large nodule in matrix, in the Kearsarge Lode near Calumet. I left the half-dollar size stone sticking our from its’ host rock, and just polished the face of it. I thought it was a Quartz/Epidote, salted with Copper specks (nothing remarkable). I just left it for a specimen. That stone sat around of a while, until the other day. I decided to cut the stone out of the matrix. I assumed the pattern would be the same throughout the stone.
I cut that nodule out of its’ matrix, and lo and behold, and awesome big Copper Agate. It’s the largest Copper Agate I have personally discovered.
You can’t imagine my pleasure and thrill to find that big nodule was a Large Copper Agate! This was the largest Copper Agate I have ever personally found. After cutting that stone from the host rock, enough remained to create an improbable Gemstone for another pendant.
The next slice of that big Copper Agate, produced an amazing copper agate. There was a clear Quartz top in this one, that I set one of my Island Greenstones into. Even though improbable, awesome none the less.
Last week was one of the luckiest lapidary weeks I’ve ever had lately. Unfortunately I do not have any more mine rock with giant Copper Agate Suspects in them, but I can hope I find another big nodule out in the Lode. I’ll look this year.
Isle Royale Greenstones, Thomsonite, Datolite, Lake Superior Agates, Petoskey Stones, Pudding Stones, Kona Dolomite, Copper Agates, and Silver/Copper Nuggets (aka Half-breeds), have always been the base for our business.
The popularity of Thomsonte has been on the upswing. Most of the goos Thomsonte comes from secret spots on the North Shore of Lake Superior. There’s something about this beautiful, pastel pink, Zeolite, that people love.
Our main products consist of Great Lakes Rocks & Minerals. Some of these core stones have been found by us, Others were purchased from collectors in the Great Lakes Region. I will publish this blog in two parts. I have loads of pictures to show you and will share images of some of our most popular jewelry gemstones. The second part will be jewelry made from those Great Lakes gemstones.
Michigan’s Official State Gemstone may be out most popular, and most rare of anything we sell. Greenstones are found nowhere else in the world; only on Isle Royale and on the old spoil piles of some of the copper mines in the Keweenaw Peninsula.Copper Agates are found in some of the mine spoil piles in the Keargarge Lode. They are very coveted, and hard to find.
Our pride in Michigan, and the Gemstones found there, reflects in our jewelry. We have many happy customers, that return again and again to purchase more pieces of jewelry to add to their collections, or to give as treasured gifts.
Unakite (top) is a Granite comprised of Pink Feldspar, Epidote, and Quartz. It is commonly found on the Lake Superior Beaches. I personally think it makes wonderful jewelry. On the bottom is Mohawkite from several Mines near Mohawk, Michigan. Some people love it, but we that cut it, must be careful because of the Arsenides in it. It is safe to wear, as we seal it with a two part industrial epoxy.Datolite is another Copper-associated rock. Where you see Datolite, there is usually copper in the neighborhood. Copper often permeates into the Datolite, causing the Datolite to have a pink tinge. Sometimes you can see the Copper in the stone, as you do here. The above Datolite also contains Green Epidote.
Orders come from all over the country. We wonder and are often awestruck at how people, in Utah or California for example, know about Isle Royale Greenstones or Copper Agates. Sometimes we have the chance to ask them where they heard of Petoskey Stones or Datolite, and more often than not, they have some connection to Michigan. They may have hunted the rockpiles in the Keweenaw, or the beaches of Lake Michigan. Their family has roots in Michigan, or they attended Michigan Tech in Houghton (Go Huskies!). At times they may have found a piece of jewelry at Copper World in Calumet, or bought something from us at an art show in Eagle Harbor or Copper Harbor. Customers can have Nostalgic memories of hunting the beaches with their families in the U.P. for rock treasures.
Sure evidence that Greenstones and copper can be found together in many copper mines. This little gem is a lucky strike for sure, a rare find!
Nostalgia often is associated with the custom jewelry pieces we make. People send stones they have found, saying things like “I’ve been looking for someone, for years, that can make a piece of jewelry from a Laker (or other rock) that I found while with my Grandpa decades ago on the shores of the Lake Superior or Lake Michigan”. “YES; I can do this for you; What did you have in mind”?
Copper Firebrick was formed when the bricks used for construction of Copper smelters, got permiated with Copper Vapors and molten Copper. The Datolite was a lucky cut, with an interior in the form of the Lower Peninsula.
Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s Official State Stone. We make many things from this, and other Devonian Fossils. Cladapora is the other fossil seen in this picture.
Our website contains well over a thousand unique pieces of jewelry. We’re proud to individually make each piece. We do not have cheap “Buy-sell” things made in foreign countries. We are a locally owned Michigan small business, proudly sharing our handcrafted Great Lakes stone jewelry with people across the country.
Have fun looking at our core Great Lakes treasures. If you see something you like, call or E-mail us. If you have an idea for a custom wire wrap, or beaded treasure, get ahold of us.
Unakite is a wonderful, quite common, rock comprised of Pink Orthoclase (Feldspar) and Green Epidote, magnetite, chromite, ilmenite, apatite, zircon, and other minerals. If I see Unakite, I always pick it up because it is so irresistible. Something about the Pistachio Green and the Pink Orthoclase that makes it irresistible.
Feldspar is divided into two groups: 1. Orthoclase Feldpar contains Potassium, while 2. Plagioclase Feldspar contains Calcium and Sodium. Sounds like things that would be healthy to eat. I suppose you could try it IF you have a good dentist.
Some Unakite rocks we’ve recently found. This shows a bit of variety of this stone.Bonnie makes some lovely jewelry from Unakite.This set shows the color variety of Unakite.
Unakite is a rock used for jewelry, carvings, beads, headstones, sinks, and many other things.
TRIVIA ALERT: Unakite is sometimes used as an architectural and decorative stone. Slabs of unakite are used as flooring tiles, facing stone, stair treads, and windowsills. Its most prominent use is as a trimming to the front steps of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. It is also used as floor tiles on a landing at the south entrance.
Unakite has a MOHs hardness of around 6, so it is a sturdy rock for any use (except eating). Bonnie likes a few larger pieces in her rock gardens.
Bonnie has suggested, in the past, that I write a blog about Unakite. Whether we are rockhounding in the Upper Peninsula, or locally, we always find Unakite. It deserved to be featured.
I generally do not write boring, complicated, detailed, scientific explanations of how rocks are formed, but you should know that Metamorphic rocks, like Unakite) were formed by heat and pressure converting one mineral into another. You can read enough about these types of rocks to totally fill your brain, and explode out your ears. There are actually educated people that do nothing but study types of Feldspar.
I would call the upper cab “More gem”, but the pendant more amazing.
Orthoclase is in the Potassium Feldspar Group of Feldspars (as I previously mentioned). Other materials I use for jewelry from this group include Albite, Amazonite, Moonstone, and Labradorite. In the Upper Peninsula some rocks contain a Feldspar called Adularia. Chlorastrolite (Greenstone) sometimes contain this orange/pink Adularia.
Enough of this scientific trivia; lets talk about my latest creation.
During one of our recent rockhounding trips, I picked up assorted Unakite rocks, from dirt roads that we sometimes hunt. One of the Unakite stones I plucked had an Epidote “bullseye” on it. Never in 40 years of hunting rocks, have I seen such a pattern. That rock was thrown into a bucket and later sorted.
Sorting, after hunts in NW Michigan, involves separating out the Petoskey Stones by quality, and all the other random rocks by whether I want to make jewelry from them, put them in grab bags, or throw them into the driveway. That bullseye rock was dumped in the “do something with this container”, and promptly forgotten. This was perhaps a couple months ago.
This Unakite had a circle of Epidote surrounding a center of pink Feldspar yielding the finished “Eye Catching” Pendant. What is not seen in this stone are the specks of Silver-colored metal. I’m not sure what the metal is.Even with my Micro lens this metal is not real clear.
I looked down yesterday and noticed that “Bullseye” looking at me from a container under my workbench. I swear, that rock was ordering me to do something with it. So I cut out the bullseye, and used it as a base for cutting a cabochon. As I looked at the polished cab, I also see it is sprinkled with a metallic silver-colored mineral, that I will have to look at later under a microscope. If you are fairly sure what these little bits of metal are, let me know.
I did not get stingy with the wire wrapping. Ir featured more Argentium Sterling than in most of my Pendants.
I brought that Unakite right up to the house, and wrapped it up into a sharp piece of jewelry. To say this piece of jewelry is “Eye Catching” would be an understatement. Eye candy with an eye in it. I have named this piece of jewelry…don’t be shocked..”EYE CATCHING”. Check this one-of-a-kind Unakite out!
It’s always heartbreaking when a good friend passes away. I hope you will indulge me as I remember Beth Harland, a loyal member or the Grand Traverse Area Rock & Mineral Club.
I recall that John and Beth joined our club in 2005 or 2006, when they moved up after retirement to Traverse City. John became Club President shortly there after and Beth took notes for the Club Newsletter that I edited.
Over the years Beth invested in many pieces of jewelry that I made, and I mentored John in Wire Wrapping. We became close friends.
In 2009 John handed me a Greenstone, and asked if I could make a pendant for Beth. The Greenstone was 3 1/2″ by over 2″! “You want me to cut this Greenstone; are you sure?” Over the course of the next week, I asked him if he was still sure, and the answer was yes every time.
The following incorrect information was found on the internet:
“The largest gem quality stone is in the Smithsonian Museum and measures 1.5 by 3 inches. It was first described from Isle Royale, Lake Superior by C. T. Jackson and J. D. Whitney in 1847. Chlorastrolite, also known as greenstone, is the official state gem of Michigan.”
John found this Greenstone on Isle Royale back in the early 60’s, and it sat on a shelf for all those years. The above information was on Pinterest and is obviously incorrect . John’s Stone was the REAL world record. The finished stone easily covers a half-dollar with room to spare! It was 1.75 by 3.25 inches! It actually covered 2 silver dollars! The finished pendant is substantially larger, or course.
The Greenstone had previously been worked by someone unskilled in cutting Greenstone, so my challenge was increased by correcting someone else’s errors.
This was, and still is the most challenging and scary rock I’ve ever cut. It was especially scary, when I found out that I was working on one of the largest Gem-grade Greenstones ever found. Those that are skilled at cutting Chlorastrolite, know that there are numerous pitfalls that could happen. Holes and pits (which this was full of), cutting through the pattern, or not developing the pattern to its fullest (this also had taken place. So how do I proceed?)
I studied this Greenstone for several hours, and developed my plan of attack, based on my experience of cutting thousands of Greenstones. Mostly working slowly and carefully, using my intuition and hoping my choices were correct. I actually took three days on the cutting alone, and the results were fabulous. That stone had full pattern and was very hard.
Beths World Class Greenstone
I was finally able to produce both an amazing pendant and a set of large earrings from that monster.
The back of the above Greenstone.
Beth loved that piece of jewelry, and I was honored that John ask me to make it. I personalized the pendant, and she wore it often.
Her recent passing brought up one of many good memories of Beth. We’ll miss her and think of her often. I can see her wearing that stone as if it were yesterday.
Here’s another Pendant I made for Beth. She loved Bling!
A Quartz pocket containing pink and blue topaz–Beth loved Bling!
Richard and Andrew Marek had great father and son bonding time on the piles.
We usually travel to Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, in August, where we participate in Art Shows, and do wire wrapping demonstrations at Copper World in Calumet. Because our art shows were cancelled and demos were not possible due to the Virus, we focused on rock hunting in the Upper Peninsula.
The Ranger is the National Park Service boat that serviced Isle Royale National Park. From our campsite, we watched it go out every two days.
We camped and rock hunted to our hearts’ content. While camped, I was able to work on the rocks we found with my mobile shop setup and made jewelry on my work bench.
A classic Candy Striper always make me smile. This one, I purchased from Ryan Pikk at the Quincy Swap Meet. I took the rough Laker back to the RV, and made it into instant jewelry.This Amethyst Laker called me to make it into jewelry while in the Keweenaw.Keweenaw Prehnite is absolutely gorgeous.The Isle Royale Queen IV is not running from Copper Harbor this year. The only way you can get there is by seaplane.TheThere are still a few inches to squeeze in more rocks.The pile here used to be above the trees. I am carefully searching for an elusive Greenstone, with only moderate success.Bonnie searches a beach at dusk. Is she looking for a fluorescent rock?
Was rock hunting successful? Yes, considering the good areas becoming more scarce. Most of you know that many of the old rock piles have been crushed and hauled away, leaving large flat area and small piles. Where rock piles used to be as high as the trees, they’ve now ground level. You have to work harder to find what used to be relatively easy.
A drill core is a treat to find. Just thinking a trio of miners, 100 years ago , could have drilled this hole.
Bonnie’s goal was to find the worlds’ largest Greenstone, which was not happening, while mine was to survive the rock piles while still recovering from and ankle fusion. I accomplished my goal, and was stronger at the end of our trip. It’s amazing to me that you do not feel much pain when you are actually rock hunting, but it catches up after the hunt is finished for the day.
We hunted close to a dozen locations, with limited success in every locale. We stocked up on rocks and minerals we could use in our grab bags, that we sell 3 for $10 at art shows and elsewhere. Some things everyone loves in their grab bags are, small Greenstones in matrix, shiney Calcite, Prehnite, and small copper pieces.
A Garden Rock of Great Size
Other things Bonnie looks for are new garden rocks. You should have seen us hauling a 70# chunk of mine rock with calcite and Cuprite seams. That one was hard to miss in the pouring rain.
This is the colorful garden rock we hauled off the Central Pile.I see Prehnite, Calcite, and specks of Copper.
It was quite a trek to the car, and we tried, with limited success to fit this rock into a 5 gallon bucket on our Broll (Bucket Roller). Bonnie steadied the rock, while I pulled the cart to the car. We only dumped it a couple times; each time stopping, and hoisting it back into the stretched bucket. It’s amazing what greed will make a person do.
Hunting with Friends
Our new rockhound buddy Rayanne around the best of the day.
In the great out doors it seemed safe to rock hunt with others. We took some friends from our rock club around to some places for them to hunt. I can testify they too were greedy, filling up the back end of their pickup. We all had great fun, and tested our mettle in the rain.
We found some fine gem grade Prehnite, a few fine Copper Crystals, a limited supply of possible Greenstones, and a couple small Datolites.
The Swap meet at the Quincy Mine produced several Copper Agates, a couple fine Candy Striped Lakers, and much visiting with old friends at an Unsociable Distance.
There were a few of these around.Lots of these Chlorite-coated balls about. Gotta cut this one and see. It looks promisingThe one that looked promising above, turned out to be the best we found.Here’s the back.Another one, that maybe has life in itThis is often the case with Greenstones. You see some pattern, but it runs out.There are more possibilities.
Of course we also made a visit to the A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum on the campus of Michigan Tech, to see all the specimens from the area that we drool over. The great colored Datolites (and huge too) are big favorites.
Centennial Datolite is one of the rarest.Bonnie practices unsocial Distancing.
All the campgrounds were totally filled, and continue to be, so if you go rock hung in the UP or Keweenaw, get reservations.
Fantastic sunsets. This one from the top of Brockway Mountain.
This year was a more restful visit than usual, but we still missed the Art Shows.
I’ve been ahead of the curve as it relates to this isolation. In January, I opted for an Ankle Fusion (not as much fun as it sounds). I was in three different casts in 6 weeks, than a boot for another 6 weeks, now a walking boot. During that time I could not get out and about.
This isolation allowed me to be pretty much home bound in an RV in Florida. You cannot imagine how much jewelry a person can manufacture with so much time. I took the opportunity to up my jewelry game by making not only more jewelry, but more complicated and innovative jewelry.
This blog will be things I’ve made just the past month. All are for sale, but may not be on line or in our show inventory yet. If you are interested in any of these, call or message me.
I love reaching into a vug at one of the Amethyst Mines near Thunder Bay, Ontario, and feeling the sharp points of mud-encrusted Amethyst. Careful prodding and pulling will often dislodge an excellent specimen. this one had set around for a decade in my shop, finally attracting my attention.Condor Agates, from remote mountain areas in Argentina, are some of the most colorful agates on Earth. You have to wade through a lot of Condors to find exceptional ones. This designer cut beauty came out very nice, and sports some remarkable colors and patterns.A couple custom rings were recently made for a couple awesome ladies. The top is a Pink Topaz, while the bottom one is Isle Royale Greenstone with assorted Copper and Silver Beads.Yellow Cat Petrified wood is a rare limb cast wood from Grand County, Utah. Back in the day all of this material was bought up by Tiffany and made into jewelry. Parts of this wood glow green under the UV light. Small amounts at large prices are sometimes found at the major Gemshows in Tucson or Quartzsite.I found this piece of Dinosaur Bone at the Tucson Gen Shows a few years back. I was attracted to it because of the scenic picture, and unusual Agate/D-Bone mix.The top is an Actinolite mix from Canada, and the bottom is extremely rare Oppu Rhodochrosite from Japan. Oppu is easily recognized by its Raspberry color.A Centennial (Mine), blue Datolite and a Silver-Copper Nugget. Centennial Datolite is very rare, and is one of the most coveted varieties of Datolite. This one has so much Copper in it that it has a beautiful pink sheen.I found a large (2 1/2″h x 1 1/2″w) Fordite that had a wavy, gray surface. I thought to just his the high spots of the surface. WOW! How amazing is this? The rear (shown below) is also very fine.The rear of the above Fordite. Hey; I wrapped this one so you can wear either side to the front, as your mood suggests! Ruby in Fuchsite is a beautiful stone primarily from India. The striking combination of red Ruby and pastel green Fuchsite makes this stone very sought after.Under a UV light, the Rubies just glow like fiery embers. Ooooh!I love these little Silver-Copper and Silver Nuggets from Michigan’s Copper Country. They are not so easy to find since many of the waste piles at the Copper mines have been hauled away for road fill. A fun reminder of the Copper Country.A blue, pink, and orange Petoskey Stone. It’s got a lot going on. Chrysocolla, Azurite, and other things combine to make a stunning gemstone.Just a really nice Pink Petoskey with a simple Unisex wrap.Drusy (Druzy) Quartz’s are natural Quartz pockets that are sometimes dyed, sometimes treated with Titanium Vapor Depositions; sometimes both. They’s always popular and attention getting.Chrysoprase is the most expensive member of the Quartz family. Most of the “Prase” is scarfed up by the Asian markets and is known as Australian Jade. It rivals jade in beauty, if you find a fine pure piece, like this one.Big and bold, these Elrathia Kingii Trilobites from Utah, are in my opinion, one of the finest types of Trilobites. Most still have their “cheeks”, and make great jewelry.Lastly a large custom pendant, I made for a special lady. The large Silver-Copper was hers, and I added a large Greenstone and a smaller nugget of silver and copper. This one was over three inches and is a real stunner.
Are you wondering what Snob Appeal Jewelry Christmas gifts were delivered by Santa this year?
In this blog I wanted to show you what some special people got for Christmas. At our house all the girls received special Abalone Shell Pendants accompanied by the singing of “It’s an Abalone Christmas” to the tune of “It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas”.
It’s an Abalone Christmas, and a great time of the year. Everybody have an Abalone Christmas; this year.
California Abalone shells.
This was great fun!
New Zealand’s famous Paua Shells are arguably the most beautiful and colorful mother of pearl available. You have to wear a mask when cutting these, as the fumes they emit are very toxic. I learned the hard way a few years ago.. I discover this shell shard in the bottom of a bucket of rocks that I had no idea where they came from. A nice surprise I saved for Bonnie.
My favorite girl (aka Bonnie) did not receive an Abalone, but did get a Paua Shell pendant. I consider these beautiful shells, the Cadillac of shells becaue of their fantastic pastel colors and amazing pearlescents. I read recently that the Maori people believe they see the symbolic eyes of ancestors gazing down from the night sky.
Bonnie also got a special pendant from Santa. I have saved the stones for a few years, waiting for the right time to make it and the inspiration. Both of these stones are super special. First comes a three gram Michigan Greenstone from the Phoenix Mine with a fantastic pattern, and second, probably the most fantastically colored yellow Keweenaw Point Datolite, I’ve ever seen. When you say “Canary Yellow”, this one exceeds that description. The best “Points” are found by diving off the tip of the Keweenaw.
WOW! The jewelry makers’s wife owns this beauty.
The pendant is a two-piece unit where the bottom swings from the top. The wrapping was a challenge, but the results were worth it. My jewelry model loved it, and it was one of the first Christmas gift jewelry pieces that was a real surprise for her.
Since we offer the best Michigan Chlorastrolite Greenstones on the web, we sell many of them. Here are some pictures of a few pendants that are being worn by customers wives and girlfriends.
It seems that the Gemstone pendants chosen were very diverse this year. Here are a few of those. We have heard from several happy gifters and giftees.
First, here’s a new 2020 pendant for sale, Remarkable Couple, just off the workbench. A Blue Datolite from the Isle Royale Mine. The Isle Royale cosisted of 14 shafts located in Houghton County (top of the hill past the present day Walmart). Most people associate blue Datolite with the Centennial Mine, but there were other mines that also had blue. This Datolite made friends with a nice North Shore Thomsonite.This was a wierd Fordite that I was inspired to do some creating cutting and wrapping on. A Century Boat Paint from Manistee, I refered to this one as “The Alien”. A whimsical favorite around here, it became a Christmas gift to a lucky lady.A pair representing many Greenstones sold this year as Christmas gifts. The left one is one I found at the Central mine years ago, and the right one is boitrioidal and filled with copper. I’m not sure where I found this one; but both have happy new homes. WOW!Teepee Canyon Agates are close relatives of Fairburn Agates. Arguably they are Fairbun Agates that are still in their matrix. Some old ones I’ve had sported Amethyst, but the nice ones look like this. Someone is now wearing this gift that Santa delivered.
I hope you enjoyed this review of some of the Snob Appeal Jewelry Christmas gifts that went out this year. Didn’t get your favorite? Start shopping now!
Looking back through the year Bonnie has been remembering some of the unique stone pendants that I have created. We miss some of our favorites, but are glad they have gone to new owners. Of the ones that are available, here are some new favorites, Top 7 Stone Pendants (or maybe a bit more)!
Now this was a tough choice. We added three new sets recently, and they are all really nice. Malachite is trendy today and the On Target Malachite Set Sma350 is very cool, but Smooth Sailing Blue Lace Agate Jewelry Set Sbl350 gets my vote today. The pastel blue of Blue Lace Agate is so popular, this set is stately and a useful addition to you jewelry collection.
Waves and Mountains Lake Superior Agateclose up of Waves and Mountain Lake Superior Agate
For rareness, different coloring, and just unique you might choose Banded Steel Iron Lace Pls330. Prefer green in your Laker? My favorite of the year is Waves and Mountains Pls355. For impact, paint agate, pink with banding,
Do you like yours pure dark blue, light blue, or with bits of gray? Again, so many ways to classify your stone. Top rank goes to one paired with a Petoskey Stone and Greenstone beads, making a Michigan Trilogy Pendant Ppe350.
The Weirdest Fossil Pendant
King Family Trilobites Pendant
The Kingii Family Trilobites Ptri350 rises to mind as the most unique fossil ever wire wrapped. We have had doubles before, but triple? It sort of evokes the maternal nature of family life, always together. But what about Wonderful Worm Homes Pendant Psh350? Isn’t it a fossil lovers dream to own a calcereous worm tubes jewelry piece? I almost forgot the large, in your face, amazing pyritized Ammonite. Mastadon Teeth, Dinosaur Bones, Dinosaur Dung also fit in the odd fossil category. It’s so hard to choose! The large Ammonite is my favorite, contact us if you are interested, it is in our show inventory.
Did you love our Top 7 Stone Pendants? If you want more to choose from, in the last two months we have added new pendants to so many places, visit these categories:
Definitions: A Bill is a Legislative Proposal offered for debate before its enactment.
An Act is a Statute, law. or a decision by a Legislative Body.
An Enrolled House Bill is the final copy of a bill or joint resolution that has passed both houses of congress in identical form. An Enrolled House Bill is the document that is eventually signed by the Governor. This is important. I have seen online Posts identifying HB 2297 as the bill that made Petoskey Stones the State Stone of Michigan, but Act No. 89, Public Acts of 1965 is the Legal Authority that made the Petoskey Stone Michigan’s Official State Stone.
All the stones featured in this blog are, or contain Petoskey Stone. Color, Pattern, or Species make no difference. They are all our Official State Stone.
From my archives via an estate sale. This is a rare copy of the Endorsed bill that Gov. Romney signed into Act No. 89 on June 28, 1965
History of Legislation
In 1965 a bill was authored by Representatives- Eugene R. Cater-Ludington and Stanley Powell-Ionia (that being HB2297). This bill was to make the PETOSKEY STONE the official State Stone of Michigan. The legislature passed rapidly through to the Governor’s desk. Act No. 89, of Public Acts of 1965 was signed by Governor Romney on June 28, 1965. This Act made the Petoskey Stone Michigan’s Official State Stone. The Act simply states that the PETOSKEY STONE is the Official State Stone of Michigan. There was no mention of one specific species of Hexagonaria being Michigan’s State Stone. In 1965 there were at least 7 recognized species of Hexagonaria. Now there at at least 9 recognized types of Hexagonaria. By making Act No. 89 general in nature, the Act still applies to newly identified species. There have never been any amendments to Act No. 89, according to State Archives.
This Petoskey Stone is soon to be a pendant
Prior to retirement, I enforced State Laws for 40 years. I have been involved with writing legislation and testifying before a State committee on a couple proposed Bills, helping write one of them. I’m well versed in how the government works, and how Acts and laws are passed. You cannot read into State Legislation what is not there, and this seems to be the case with Act No. 89, PA 1965, where various people; a lot of people; have added information that is not present in the law or Act itself.
Red Matrix over Petoskey StoneYellow Petoskey Stone with a hint of pink, both caused by Iron Staining. The Pink was iron that got into the calcite as the Petoskey Stone Calcified. The yellow was Iron stains at a later date.
Some Things About the Author
I admit that even though I have hunted thousands of pounds of Petoskey Stones over 50 years or so, and sold thousands of pounds of them, I am still not good enough to identify specific species of them. I can pretty much ID a Hexagonaria percarinata because it’s the most common Petoskey Stone I find, and Hexagonaria anna because it’s very large, but the other Hexagonaria usually stump me. To me, as with most, finding a Petoskey Stone is good enough. An article I co-wrote with Dr. George Robinson in Rocks and Minerals (May/June 2013, Vol 88, No. 3) introduced Pink Petoskey Stones to the world. A pink Petoskey that I found and donated to the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum is now on display in their Michigan Fossil Case.
This is the beautiful palm-sized Pink Petoskey that I found and donated to the Seaman Mineral Museum, and now resides in their Michigan Fossil case.Matrix present, but still a Petoskey Stone.
AboutPetoskey Stones
Some think a Hexgonaria does not become a Petoskey Stone until it has been polished, but commonly the rough waterwashed stones are called Petoskey Stones. The intent of Act 89 was clearly to include the stones people find in random Michigan locations. Some refer to Hexagonaria from other states and localities around the world, as Petoskey Stone. Very simply, the Act NEVER mentions that a particular species of Hexagonaria was the Official State Stone. The bill simply states that the Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s Official State Stone. Most people liked the general nature of Act 89. If you found a Petoskey Stone (Hexagonaria), no matter what species, you still can claim you found an Official State Stone, giving you a happy time feeling. I, as well as most Petoskey Stone Hunters believe that if you find a Michigan fossil of colonial coral with six sides, it’s a Petoskey Stone. This is not really the case, but close enough for me.
In the Geology of Michigan (John A. Dorr, Jr., c1970) he states “Colonial coral fragments eroded from these rocks (the ledges and Devonian Age Reefs) often are found along the beaches of lakes in the Lower Peninsula. When polished by the abrasive action of the waves, these are called “Petoskey stones”.”
Small patterns do not mean this is a baby Petoskey. It simply means that this is a different species. What species? I do not know. No matter the species, it’s still a Petoskey Stone.
Dr. Stumm’s Position
The suggestion that Hexagonaria pericarnata be Michigan’s State Stone. was made by Dr. Erwin C. (Win) Stumm in 1969 (4 years after the State Act was signed into law). Dr. Strumm made this distinction based on his extensive knowledge of fossils. He knew that percarinata was the most common Hexagonaria found in Michigan. Dr. Strumm died on April 24, 1969. He was undoubtedly the leading expert in the world on Devonian Invertabrate fossils at that time. A paper published in 1970, after Stumm’s death. You can read his Corals of the Traverse Group of Michigan Part 13 Hexagonaria and see photos of various species. This is a heavy duty scientific paper.
In the paper, Stumm writes “Hexagonaria percarinata is the famous Petoskey Stone adopted by the legislature as The State Stone of Michigan”. Could it be that Stumm did not know what the State Act said? It was too late to ask him by the time his paper was published.
Just a real nice polished Petoskey Stone
This was all well and good, that Dr Stumm suggested Hexagonaria percarinata was the state stone, but Dr. Stumm did not have the legal authority to change State Legislation. ONLY a lawmaking body can make changes in already passed State Legislation. Act No. 89 of Public Acts of 1965 was never amended. Off and on people have suggested that the historical and common term of Petoskey Stone be more clearly defined. I do not think it should. Take a look at the photos in his paper. Would you know the difference in species, when you pick up a Petoskey Stone?
Act 89 has never been changed, therefore the Petoskey Stone remains Michigan’s Official State Stone designation-NOT Hexagonaria percarinata. People have been told, by so called experts, that what they found was NOT a Petoskey Stone, because it was not a Hexagonaria percarinata. Is Hexagonaria percarinata a Petoskey Stone? Yes it is; but so are many other Hexagonaria species.
Just because Stumm stated that Hexagonaria percarinata was his selection as the State Stone, it did not make it so. Shortly after Stumm made his statement, false information started to appear that somehow Hexagonaria percarinata became the Official State Stone. Not the case friends, no change in the law took place.
Today, you may read on the web; Petoskey Stone-(Hexagonaria percarinata) this and Petoskey Stone-(Hexagonaria percarinata) that, whenever Michigan’s State Stone is mentioned. The term (Hexagonaria Percarinata) always seems to be in parenthesis, following Petoskey Stone on the web, and in print. I’ve never seen an Official State document that has parenthesis in it. This is a dead giveaway that someone just added this information later. In a legal document. parenthesis are never used. It is impossible to track down when exactly placing (Hexagonaria Percarinata) after Petoskey Stone became common practice, but it did.
I really think it is way too late to do anything about the proliferation of mis-information on the web, and many other places, but certainly the facts are the facts. I come from a prior life of Incident Reports, legal docs, Investigations,and facts. (“Just the facts, ma’am.”) If you can convince me I’m incorrect in what I write, feel free to let me know.
If someone tells you that Hexagonaria percarinata is the State Stone, You are welcome to show the copy of Act 89, PA 1965 that is posted in this blog. Ask them where in this Michigan Act, it says anything about Hexagonaria percarinata?
Some of you may doubt what I have written is true, but the evidence and facts are readily available. Check the facts yourself. It’s unfortunate so many people believe what they read on the Internet without checking the facts.
Our art shows are over for the year so we are working on the web site, adding more pictures and descriptions of the Petoskey Stone pendants. We decided to offer some Petoskey Stone pendants for sale. If you are quick and alert, you can snag a great gift for Christmas. Check out our Sale Page for the currently available items. We included some of the Pink Petoskey stones as well. Look for nice patterns and unusual ones.
Here is a tip for the savviest shopper. There may be some sale pendants showing there that are not on the sale page. The resident data enterer, my wife Bonnie, sometimes forgets to check the two boxes that would make them appear both on Sale and on the Sale page. So to compensate for this, be sure to check out both the Petoskey Stone Pendant page and the Pink Petoskey Stone page for the best selection. If you missed my article about Pink Pets you should read all about them.
Order now for best selection! Go to our Sale Page now!
